Law & Society: The Jews of Shanghai

The history of the Jews of Shanghai is an intriguing story. But it is a story that is not well known in the United States. Baghdadi Jews came to Shanghai in the mid-19th century and prospered; Russian Jews fleeing the Czar and then the Bolshevik Revolution emigrated to China in the early 20th century, coming to Shanghai in large numbers in the 1930s after the Japanese takeover of Manchuria; and approximately 18,000 Jews from Europe sought refuge from Nazi Germany in the 1930’s and early 1940’s to the open port of Shanghai.

The year 2015 is the 70th Anniversary of the end of World War II. The conference will examine history from a number of perspectives, including, law, literature and sociology. The conference is also an opportunity to significantly commemorate the important historical events that brought Jews to China, allowing for interactions and exchanges between people from two historical and influential cultures. Indeed, the conference will seek to further mutual learning and cross-cultural cooperation between the Chinese and Jewish peoples.

One of the objectives of the cross cultural Law and Society Symposium “Jews of Shanghai" conference is to bring the participation of all graduate and undergraduate schools within the Shanghai University of International Business and Economics (SUIBE) under the same umbrella as co-sponsors for the event. The University has made the commitment to providing the support and necessary resources to making the June Conference a significant event for City of Shanghai.